An Untimely Frost
by Awesome Maple
Summary: Decades into Matt and Gilbert's marriage, one of the two begins to note changes in the other's behaviour. A trip to the doc reveals a terrifying truth that the Beildschmidt-Williams family was not expecting... MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. Sequel to What Must Shall Be. Prussia x 2p!Canada.
1. Chapter 1

I AM BACK BABY!

And I'm updating early because I have a math test Monday and need all of Sunday to prepare. As usual, updates are Sundays and Thursdays.

This book will be dealing with short snippets as the disease that one of them has is very progressive over time. The nature of this illness is not very noticeable over the course of one year as opposed to the course of a decade. If you are sensitive to the disease (you'll learn about it next chapter!) please don't read this sequel. This is a very sensitive topic and my grandfather is battling it right now, and writing about it is helping me cope.

I only see my grandfather once a year, so I saw his descent into the disease at a yearly pace, so that's how I will tell this story. Every chapter or so is 'one year later' because that's how I've experienced it. The chapters will be between 800 to 1,800 words most likely.

You have been warned.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"Gilbert?" Matt called from the kitchen, "Did you forget to lock the car again?"

Gilbert thought for a moment, searching his memory, then remembered that oops, he had. _Again_.

"Yeah, I did," Gilbert walked into the kitchen, fresh out of bed and ready to eat breakfast, "sorry."

"Why are you still in your pyjamas?" Matt scolded, and waved the spatula at the clock, which was mounted on the wall after a quick inspection of his husband, "We have twenty minutes to eat and then leave to see Ludwig!"

"Right!" Gilbert ran out of the kitchen as fast as a 57-year-old man could run, and got changed. When he was back down, pancakes were hot and ready to be eaten. He ate hastily, his husband watching him, concerned.

"What?" Gilbert raised his pale eyebrows, "Is there something wrong?"

"No," Matt waved his hand and finished eating his own breakfast, "we're just going to be a little late, that's all."

That was a lie. Matt was getting worried about Gilbert because since he was 55, Gilbert had become somewhat forgetful. At first it was little things, like forgetting where he'd put the car keys, but last year he was forgetting to lock the car door, and he was forgetting to turn off the oven. _Fairly normal… I mean… This is normal, right?_ Matt asked himself, _this is what happens with old age—you tend to forget things._

"Everything okay honey?" Gilbert wrapped his arms around his Canadian husband's waist and kissing his cheek. Matt nodded.

"Let's go then!" Gilbert said gleefully, and grabbed his coat. They had gone to Canada (at their country place, by a lake) for the Christmas holidays, and although it was only mid-November, there was snow on the ground already. Matt shrugged and followed Gilbert's lead, heading for the car. They were to stay in Canada for two weeks before heading back down to the States. They'd been stuck with an early break—hey, _somebody_ has to be ready for an emergency on Christmas day! This year it was their turn.

Gilbert threw him the keys; "You can drive," Matt grinned, and then grimaced. He loved driving, but it was Canadian winter. He'd asked Gilbert to get the winter tires put on, but forgetting seemed to be a 'thing' with Gilbert, now.

"So…" Matt began as he pulled out of their driveway, "When we get back, I think you're due for a doctor's appointment."

"No I'm not!" Gilbert growled, "You act like something's wrong! I'm fine."

"Whatever you say," Matt shrugged.

* * *

><p>Oskar and his two younger siblings waited patiently at uncle Ludwig's home. They weren't so young anymore—in fact, they were already 42, 38 and 36 years old. The three children were all married, with children, but had decided to come alone for the family meeting. There was also the fact that Ludwig's house wasn't able to hold very many people.<p>

"They're here!" Freida called suddenly. She was a daddy's girl—but don't let that fool you! She had pursued hockey as a career and identified as genderfluid. (She decided to continue using female pronouns). Because of this genderfluidity, she sometimes identified as male and the NHL decided that she was quick, strong and skilled enough to go into men's hockey, much to Matt's pleasure. She also became a top-notch goalie.

Oskar, Freida and Niklas ran outside into the snow and hugged their adoptive fathers. Matt told Gilbert to go ahead, and he kept his children outside for just another minute so that he could talk to them.

"Guys," Matt looked at all of them in they eye, "dad is getting old, and he is starting to become forgetful, okay?" They all nodded.

"So be patient," Matt told them and they all nodded again before heading back inside the quaint house.

* * *

><p>"How are you all doing?" Matt asked as they gathered around the living room, enjoying their hot chocolate. It was wonderful to see the whole family together like this.<p>

"Let's go in a circle," Ludwig suggested, so Freida started off the conversation.

"I've been moved to the Montréal Canadiens hockey team," she grinned, and Matt nudged her with his elbow and congratulated her and she continued, "and the contract pays even better than the last one!"

"How's Christopher?" Gilbert grinned, and the room became very tense and awkward. Gilbert frowned as everybody's eyes settled on him. "What?" he asked, confused as hell.

"I divorced him last year dad," Freida bit her lip and frowned in concern, "don't you remember?"

"You…" Gilbert frowned harder, "You did?" Everybody nodded.

"Excuse us for a moment," Matt took his aged husband by the elbow and led him into the hall.

"What the hell was that?" Matt asked, worriedly.

"Sorry for not remembering that small detail!" Gilbert rubbed his eyes and leading him to the kitchen to set down his finished hot chocolate.

"_Small_ detail?" Matt asked in disbelief, "Can't you remember when she came home with Niklas and Oskar? She was a mess!"

Gilbert thought long and hard before remembering a hazy memory, and nodded slowly, "Yeah, I remember now."

"I really, really think you need to see a doctor honey," Matt said softly, and Gilbert, seeing his husband's face concerned, nodded.

"Okay," he sighed, "let's go."

The two walked back to the living room where their family was talking, and Matt told them they had to leave early, to which an uncomfortable silence followed. Which was then followed by hugs and tearful goodbyes as the two men left the cozy home.

"It'll be okay honey," Matt smiled hopefully, taking his mittened hand in Gilbert's for a brief second at a stoplight before driving home. Gilbert nodded.

But they both had a feeling that something was horribly, horribly wrong.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>There you have it! You've probably guessed what he has. Trip to the doctor's next chapter... Good luck!<p>

Love,

~Awesome Maple


	2. Chapter 2

Because I'm awesome and because I wrote this chapter last night, I decided that hey, it's 10:45 I might as well just post it for them to break the news. I hate keeping you in the dark for so long. By the way, expect this book to be around 10 chapters long, with each chapter being _very_ short.

Oooh and by the way I started watching _Orange is the New Black_ a while ago and just back into it and I have two celeb crushes: Poussey and Ruby Rose, who is a new actress in Season 3. Man I'm SO EXCITED. (Haha my parents think I'm straight but lol they're so wrong).

Enjoy, I guess? Ohh! By the way, "An untimely frost" is from Act 4, Scene 5 from Romeo and Juliet. Frost is cold, which symbolizes death, and untimely... Let's see if you figured out the pieces. This fic's titles are form R&J, and the next fic's title is from Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 4. I'm not saying anything because somebody may take the title and that would suck.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"Hey," Matt called the doctor as soon as he got home, "can we schedule the appointment to be a little early?" Gilbert watched his husband carefully. They had driven all the way back to the USA and back to its terrible healthcare—but their family doctor wasn't all that horrible. He was quite nice and got the job done.

"Oh wow," Matt said, surprised, "today in an hour? Yeah of course! Thank you, bye!"

"What's happening?" Gilbert inquired, and Matt smiled.

"A patient just cancelled an appointment, which means we'll be able to see the doc in an hour! What a lucky break!"

"Sounds good," Gilbert nodded, tense. He was worried about this visit. He was worried about what the doctor would tell them.

* * *

><p>Forty-five minutes came and went, and soon the retired Canadian and the still-working German policeman were parking in the old and full parking lot of the hospital, ready to see the man that would hopefully bring light to the situation.<p>

Entering the well-lit, red-carpeted doctor's office, Matt spoke to the lady at the front mahogany desk for a moment before they sat down in the waiting room. It was completely empty of anybody else—it was just the two men. They were fairly early.

Suddenly, Gilbert turned to Matt as they sat in silence, looking somewhat confused. Matt read the confusion in Gilbert's eyes and he asked what was wrong.

"Um..." Gilbert frowned deeply and Matt took his hand gently in his, "Why are we here Mattie?"

"We're here to see the doctor..." Matt frowned as well. _How could he not know this?_

"Oh! Right," Gilbert nodded, relieved. Silence passed between them. Matt's thoughts raced at the possibilities.

"You may come in," the young FTM transgender doctor from Wy smiled. It was nice to have a queer doctor, because then they didn't have the problem of homophobia, which they'd had in the past with previous doctors.

They sat down in the chairs and the doctor pulled out a clipboard and a pen as he closed the white door with a loud creak.

"What seems to be the problem?" He smiled warmly and sympathetically, and Matt began a quick explanation.

"Gilbert here has trouble remembering things," Matt bit his lip, "it's gotten worse over the last two years and I'm not sure if it's just old age or something else."

"Alright," he nodded and made some jot notes, then turned to the man in question, "can you tell me my name?"

"Doctor..." Gilbert rubbed his chin, embarrassed, "Err... B... Brown?"

"Good job!" The doctor grinned, but Matt could see some concern in the eyes of the doctor. Dr. Brown continued, "Can you tell me about your daughter Freida?"

"Easy," Gilbert nodded enthusiastically, "Freida is a hockey goalie for the Vancouver Canucks and she's married to a man named Christopher."

"No," Matt stroked the nape of his neck; "Freida divorced Christopher a year ago. I told you this afternoon. She just got a contract from the..." Matt looked at Gilbert expectantly, wanting him to finish the phrase.

"Montréal Canadiens...?" Gilbert attempted, and Matt nodded with a tight smile. It was a random guess—he didn't know that for sure. He knew it was Matt's favourite hockey team, so that was probably why he got the answer right.

"Gilbert," Dr. Brown revolted the attention back to him, "Can you tell me when you and Matt got married?"

"1st of October," Gilbert replied in a heartbeat, and Matt smiled a little bit, his heart fluttering. He'd remembered their anniversary.

"Can you tell me what you did this afternoon?" He asked just as fast, and Gilbert had no problem with this, "I saw my family at Ludwig's house."

"What is Ludwig's grandchild's name?" Dr. Brown continued, and Gilbert had trouble, again, but he answered successfully.

There was no pattern to what Gilbert remembered. Some dates he forgot—like when his grandfather passed away—and some he remembered—like when Lars and Sakura got married. He remembered events like his move from Germany to the U.S., but forgot events such as when Mathias and Lukas adopted their first child.

He seemed to have everything from when he was is in late 40s down pat—with the exception of a few gaps—and the gaps of memory were longer and more frequent on anything past that point.

Dr. Brown told Gilbert to leave office for a second so he could consult with Matt for a moment before breaking the news to Gilbert.

"What's wrong with him?" Matt breathed warily.

"I've seen this before," Dr. Brown sighed, "the forgetfulness, the confusion he gets and that he kept asking what my name was a few times..."

"What is it?" Matt tried to stay calm, "What's wrong with him?"

"He..." Dr. Brown pressed his lips in a tight line, "Gilbert has Alzheimer's."

"No," Matt whispered, and Dr. Brown suggested he get Gilbert so he could break the news to him.

Gilbert was pacing outside, and seemed relieved when he saw his husband.

"So? What did the doc say?" Huh, he seemed to remember the last couple minutes. Sometimes he forgot, other times he didn't.

"Come in," Matt took Gilbert by the elbow. He was thankful he had learned the news first. He was worried as to how Gilbert would react.

Matt's eyes were boring holes into the plain white wall as Dr. Brown relayed the news again. He reluctantly looked at Gilbert and saw a mixture of fright, confusion and anger. Yet he was calm and controlled himself.

"What does this mean?" He asked warily. Matt held Gilbert's hand.

"It means you'll slowly lose your memory, then your basic functions like urinating, eating, etc., and your organs will eventually shut down completely. There's no cure, I'm afraid."

"Is there medication Gil can take to slow it down?" Matt asked immediately, but Gilbert stopped his hubby from asking anymore.

"I want to go in peace," Gilbert said, serene, "I don't want to take drugs to slow something like this down." The doctor was confused like Matt, but nodded.

"Okay..." The transgender healthcare worker frowned, "But every two months or so you should come in for quick checkups, okay?"

"Okay," Gilbert nodded.

The three went over options that afternoon and evening that would help Gilbert's life become more comfortable, as well as what to expect for the future.

Matt's heart was wrenched in two as the doctor went over all the horrible things that would happen to Gilbert. His heart was stomped on as he was told that in a few years, because Gilbert didn't want to take medication, he would have to be put into a home for people of old age. That he was going to lose his memory and descend into this horrible illness much faster than normal patients, because he didn't want to take medication. From now on, Gilbert's loss of, well, everything, would become exponential.

Both Gilbert and Matt held back tears when the doctor told them that one day, Gilbert wouldn't see Matt as his husband anymore—no.

Matt, one day, would be a complete stranger to him.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>There you have it! He has Alzheimer's. My grandfather took medications to prolong it and slow down the process, but it was so gut-wrenching to see him slowly degrade... I'd rather make Gil go naturally to spare himself the pain, and just take pain meds later on.<p>

My grandfather has severe Alzheimer's, and what was really touching is that when I go to visit him once a year, he grabs my hands and doesn't let them go. He held my hands for four hours and kept staring. But he wasn't seeing me... He was seeing my grandmother. My grandmother, my mother and I have the same eye shape and shade. It helps my grandmother, and I'm happy. :)

But he's not able to eat by himself, or walk properly, or talk or do anything. He's just a giant baby, literally. He functions like a newborn who can't talk yet. He can't control his bladder. He's slow and takes pain medications. At first the changes were subtle, but then we got frequent calls from my grandmother that he was getting violent and very uncooperative. At that point, enough was enough, and we had to put him in a home.

So yes, this will be a very, very sad fic. How Nonno (Italian for grandfather) degraded at first is kind of hazy because I was still 10 or so, and I only saw him from a brief period of time, so those bits might not be as accurate.

Expect it to be "two months later" or something like that, or "one year later" because that's how it works. I'm staying as true as possible to my personal experience, but also to the worrying phone calls we received from my Nonna (Italian for grandmother).

By the way, thanks for reading this AN, if you made it this far. It means a lot to me.

~Awesome Maple


	3. Chapter 3

Waah this is so sad! Very short chapter by the way!

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: Hetalia, I own not.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Gilbert and Matt drove home in an uncomfortable silence and when they got home, they quietly made their way over to the living room and cuddled in each other's arms on the soft red couch facing the fireplace.

"I'm sorry Matt," Gilbert apologized, murmuring into his husband's ear.

"For what?" Matt replied, mildly confused.

"For having Alzheimer's."

"But it's not your fault…"

"I guess I'll apologize for what I'll be doing in the future. Like," Gilbert snuggled into his elderly husband's chest, "what if I hurt you? Or keep asking the same questions? Or—"

"Gil," Matt sighed and stroked his hair, "there's nothing we can do."

"Just know that I will always love you, even if I don't say it," Gilbert said after a moment of silence, "_you_ don't forget that, okay?"

"Okay," Matt nodded. He shuddered at the thought of Gilbert no longer knowing who he was.

* * *

><p><strong>A little less than one year later…<strong>

"Matt?" Gilbert woke up completely disoriented, gripping the unfamiliar bed sheets and he tried to remember where he was. Matt was snoring away.

"Matt?" Gilbert shook Matt awake, who bolted up and asked him what was wrong.

"Where are we?"

"We're at home Gil…" Matt pecked his husband's lips, "We're at home in the U.S., and we're okay."

"At home…?" Matt watched as Gilbert made a mental effort and tried really hard to remember where he was, looking around him for a few minutes. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, nodding. Looking at the clock, he yelped and tried to get out of bed.

"I'm going to be late for work!" Gilbert exclaimed, and Matt grabbed his hand and pulled him back to him.

"Gilbert," Matt stroked his husband's wrinkled face, "you retired last year, remember?"

"Oops," Gilbert scratched his ear in shame as he remembered that event, "sorry."

"It's okay honey," Matt pulled Gilbert back into his arms and gave him a long, sweet kiss, which visibly calmed his albino husband.

"When are the kids coming over?" Gilbert suddenly asked, and Matt sighed, "They're not coming over. They came over yesterday, remember?"

"Oh…" Gilbert frowned, "Right." He couldn't remember, and Matt knew it.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Matt suggested, and Gilbert nodded. It would be nice to burn off the worries.

The two decided they would walk to Starbucks and get their breakfast there.

The leaves crunched under their old-guy-shoes-clad-feet and they waved politely at the people they passed with a nod and a little "good morning." They held hands as they walked through the park, admiring the light frost.

Matt looked at his husband, carefully watching him. Gilbert's face had gotten laugh lines and wrinkles everywhere, and he had a small smile as he squeezed Matt's old gloved hand.

As Matt was about to pose Gilbert a question as to what he wanted to do for the rest of the day, Gilbert stopped.

"When are the kids coming over?" Gilbert cocked his head to the side with a small frown, and Matt controlled his patience.

"They won't be coming over today Gil," Matt said neutrally, and Gilbert frowned a little, but nodded.

"Okay," he said, and they continued to walk.

They eventually arrived at the Starbucks and ordered their breakfast, and Matt prayed that Gilbert would stop asking about the kids. _They came over yesterday!_

The café was warm and cosy, and Gilbert quietly enjoyed his food before starting to crack his regular jokes.

Matt sighed in relief. At least he was still his Gilbert for the time being.

* * *

><p>Gilbert watched his husband watch him once they'd arrived home.<p>

"What's the matter?" Gilbert asked his hubby. Matt was always worried these days! His memory wasn't _that_ bad.

"I'm just worried for you…" Matt rubbed his tired face. Gilbert put his lips in a tight line and grabbed Matt's hand, rubbing his gold ring finger.

"Look, Mattie…" Gilbert started, then forgot what he was going to say, so he went for a simple "I love you." _Phew._

"I know," Matt nodded, and then asked what they should do for the rest of the day. He suggested calling up Lars and Sakura to go somewhere, but Gilbert shook his head.

"Weren't the kids supposed to come over today?" He felt like he'd asked the question before, but he had to be sure. Matt frowned and was visibly irritated. Gilbert watched Matt's greying hair bounce up and down as he shook his head in frustration, slowly composing himself.

_Did I say something wrong?_

"They cancelled, Gil," Matt bit his lip. Gilbert could tell he was lying.

"No they didn't," he muttered, looking at Matt suspiciously. Matt sighed.

"You asked the question before today," Matt informed him, and Gilbert grew red as he looked to the ground in shame and he leaned on the counter. Right. His memory was fading. This was one of the warned symptoms.

"Did I really?" Gilbert looked up to meet Matt's faded blue-purple eyes.

"Yeah," Matt nodded simply.

"What's the real answer then?" Gilbert felt his eyes stinging. He felt so guilty for not being able to answer the question. His gut was sending mixed signals, and he felt like he'd already seen them… But he couldn't remember seeing them.

"We saw them yesterday," Matt rubbed his eyes, and Gilbert blushed again, incredibly ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry Mattie…" He wiped his eyes, trying to get rid of potential tears, "I'll try to remember."

"It's not your fault," Matt smiled tightly, "I just need to work on being patient, that's all."

"I love you," Gilbert leaned forward and hugged Matt tightly, stroking his husband's greying temples.

"I love you too," Matt nodded slowly.

_This is going to be harder than I thought._

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>Another chapter done~!<p>

My heart is slowly breaking... How about yours?

~Awesome Maple


	4. Chapter 4

I dedicate this chapter to **Impeccably Bizarre**, who posted "My heart is breaking, too! I can't bare to see Matt and Gilbert torn apart after Where Must Shall Be! This fic is fantastic so far, though. You manage to crack my heart a little but more every chapter (and don't worry, that was a compliment). Poor Matt and Gilbert :( I wonder how Ludwig is coping...", which gave inspiration on how to tell this chapter's events.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, but it owns us.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

**A little over one year later…**

"Gil?" Matt woke up slowly and was confused not to see his husband at his side sleeping by him.

"Gil?" Matt sat up fully, putting on his glasses and running a hand through his thinning hair. He didn't hear any reply.

Worried, he stood and checked the bathroom—nothing.

"Gil?" Matt called out again, only to meet rays of sunshine streaming into the bathroom window and into the hallway. No answer.

Matt was truly worried now, running around the house and calling out, "Gil? Gilbert?"

Panicking, Matt checked the front door and to his horror, it was wide open. How could he have not noticed the cool breeze coming in from outside? _Crap_, Matt thought, taking deep breaths to calm down and thinking of the calmest course of action.

"Okay," Matt spoke out loud, "I should call Ludwig and get dressed, and then I should call the police department to search for Gil if we don't find him. Okay, you can do this Matt," he nodded to himself and picked up the home phone.

* * *

><p>Feliciana was humming the Italian national anthem and watching a cooking movie when the phone rang. Sighing happily, she picked it up, not bothering to check the caller ID.<p>

"Pronto?"

"_Feli? It's Matt_," Feliciana gasped mentally. This couldn't be good.

"What's wrong?"

"_Gilbert's missing,_" the Italian woman nearly dropped the phone from the shock before knocking rather violently on the bathroom door.

"What?" Ludwig called from inside, turning off the shower.

"Your fratello is missing!" Feliciana stayed calm.

"_What?_" Ludwig opened the door; still half-naked and his mouth wide open from the shock, and grabbed the phone without further ado.

"Matt?"

"_Luddy, Gil is missing. I don't know where he went_," Ludwig muttered a few German curses and he got dressed as quickly as possible.

"Is there anything that can give you a hint?" Ludwig asked hopefully, balancing the sleek black home phone between his ear and his shoulder as he tugged the last sock on.

"_He left through the front door and left fully dressed—his pyjamas are folded and away as normal, and he's wearing his clothes. Also—wait,_" Matt suddenly stopped, and then resumed, "_Somebody's calling. I have to see who it is. I'll call back in one hundred and twenty seconds tops, okay? Okay._"

Click.

Ludwig hastily brushed his hair and threw on the rest of his clothes, pacing in his room as his wife looked at him nervously.

"What's wrong?" She asked sweetly, ready for Ludwig's rant. He always loved talking to her—she understood him. She listened. She listened _well_.

"Gilbert left fully clothed, normally," Ludwig pronounced clearly, letting his thoughts be made auditory, "and Matt's calling back in two minutes." Ludwig sat on the edge of their white-sheeted bed. His wife rubbed his back soothingly and he blinked rapidly, fighting back tears. Gilbert was only 59 years old. _How could this happen to him?_

It was just so _hard_ to see his older brother degrading like that. Visiting Gilbert and seeing his smile falter occasionally and ask a question he'd asked less than two hours ago wore his patience thin every time. Sometimes five minutes ago he'd asked the question. Gilbert's personality was still there, but he could see him slipping.

He admired Matt's strength in taking care of Gilbert. He was so patient and kind—he was so good for his brother. It was emotionally draining to go and visit Gilbert twice a week, so he had no idea how Matt dealt with him 24/7.

Suddenly the phone rang in his hand, startling him. He hastily answered it.

"_He's safe, Ludwig,_" Matt told him, "_he thought he had work today so he went all the way to the station._"

"Where is he now?" Ludwig frowned.

"_He's on his way back home. God I was so worried…_" Ludwig could hear Matt's voice quiver.

"Maybe you should upgrade your locking system," Ludwig bit his lip, and he could imagine Matt nodding his head. He tried to be rational. It was part of Ludwig's personality to immediately think of effective solutions.

"_I'll think about it. Gil's here—do you want to come over this evening for dinner?_"

"Sure," Ludwig bit Matt farewell and hung up, splaying himself over the bed.

"Why is this so hard?" Ludwig asked himself, and Feliciana ran her delicate fingers through his greying hair before tying her own in a tight bun. Ludwig looked at his wife, marvelling that despite the fact she was 55, she was still gorgeous. Sure, they'd gotten a _little_ plump over the years, as most mothers and fathers, and eventually grandparents do, but they stayed fit, and Feli often got compliments for still looking like she was 40.

He loved Feliciana, and felt so lucky to have her. She was such a wonderful woman, mother, grandmother, and wife…

Ludwig sighed and gave her a peck on the lips before they headed out, hand in hand, to the kitchen to start their day.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry," Gilbert apologized for the tenth time that day, wandering from the living room to the kitchen where Matt was cooking for that evening. He'd decided to make onion soup, which took literally four hours to make, but it was worth it.<p>

"It's fine," Matt didn't turn around to see Gilbert walk up to him and wrap his arms around Matt's waist. He was so irritated and exhausted. It had drained so much out of him to be constantly worried for Gilbert's safety.

"No it's not," Gilbert frowned, and kissed Matt's cheek. Suddenly, he had a bright idea that he was sure would make things better. He slowly trailed his fingers across Matt's chest, and down to his stomach and slowly going lower.

"S-stop Gil," Matt closed his eyes for a moment as Gilbert traced his hip bones, "I'm cooking." His eyes snapped open and he focused on stirring the soup.

Matt suddenly felt Gilbert's warm lips press against his neck and give him a small nip.

"Stop it!" He tried to be angry, but giggled as his husband nipped his neck again, the pale, albino hands going lower and lower still.

"You sure about that?" Gilbert murmured, and Matt slapped a roving hand away as Gilbert started to distract him. He felt Gilbert nip his ear.

"Jesus!" Matt gave him a more violent slap on the hand, "Give me a sec!"

Gilbert circled his strong arms around Matt's waist again, bringing his hips into contact with Matt's behind, transporting Matt thirty years ago when they were still young and had been just married. He revelled in the feeling as Gilbert pressed his lips to the side of Matt's neck again, just under his ear.

"Let me… Let me turn off the unit," Matt's voice came out huskily, and Gilbert grinned before starting to grind his hips into Matt, which solicited a small moan. Matt quickly turned off the unit and put down the spoon on the counter, spinning around and kissing Gilbert feverishly, frantically. The spark from years ago was ignited full force and they made their way to the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes from the kitchen to the hall to the bedroom.

Although they were nearly sixty, they were part of the older crowd that enjoyed their over-aged sex play, and Gilbert and Matt spent a good hour or two getting intimate again, enjoying each other with this blast to the past.

* * *

><p>Gilbert lay next to his old husband, trying to regain his breath and grinning.<p>

"That…" Matt ran a wrinkled hand through his greying hair, "That was fun." He remained spread out like a starfish on the bed face down. He closed his eyes for a moment, wanting to take a rest before having to get up and finish cooking.

Gilbert simply winked and gave him a little slap with their riding crop—hey, Francis gave interesting presents—to which Matt yelped and sat up, ready to tackle him, when the doorbell rang.

"Shoot!" Matt sprinted out of bed and grabbed his clothes in the hall and got dressed quickly, shouting an "I'm coming!" as the doorbell rang yet again. He smoothed his hair out and put his 'Kiss the Cook' apron back on and turned on the unit to make it seem more believable. Gilbert was laughing loudly from the bedroom.

He ran a hand through his hair again and opened the door, only to be greeted by nobody. Breathing a sigh of relief, he saw that it was just the newspaper and letters, so he grabbed them out of the mailbox and locked the door, ready to cook.

"Gil?" Matt asked, "It was only the mail. Do you mind setting up the table?"

"Yeah sure," Gilbert waltzed back in, fully clothed.

"Can you set up for four people? Your brother and Feli are coming over for dinner," Matt informed his forgetful husband, and Gilbert gladly complied.

An hour or so later, Gilbert had watched a hockey match on the television and shuffled back into the room, only to see four places on the table.

"Matt…?"

"Hmm?" Matt didn't turn around. He kept flipping the meat and stirring the soup.

"Why are there four places set up on the table?"

A sigh was heard, which was then followed by, "Ludwig and Feli are coming over in fifteen minutes."

"Oh," Gilbert cast his eyes downwards, "right." He stood awkwardly, unsure what to do, so he opted to watch Matt finish off the meal.

_Dong ding!_

"Gilbert please answer the door," Matt asked politely, still not turning around. He had to hide the pained expression, because Gilbert would surely question it, and then Matt would break down into tears. As he heard Ludwig and Feliciana shuffle in, he practiced smiling before turning around once he'd turned off the unit.

"Hey Luddy," Matt gave Ludwig a big hug, and gave a big hug to Feliciana as well, who asked him in a hushed voice if he was okay, to which he nodded, then shook his head, then shrugged his shoulders. He blinked away tears as Gilbert asked why they had decided to drop in on them and how it was such a nice surprise that they had arrived.

Dinner was tense and awkward, as Gilbert obliviously talked on and on and repeated at least a dozen times the same story about Ludwig when he was younger, unaware that he'd told them the event just five minutes beforehand.

Ludwig made eye contact with Matt and gave him a look of sympathy, which was returned with a grateful smile.

At least Matt knew he had somebody he could talk to.

And he would need it in the months and years to come.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>This chapter is quite longer than the others, exceeding my 1,800 word count limit I was aiming for. I distinctly remember my Nonna calling us that my Nonno left in the middle of the night and they had to search for him. That was terrifying. Note: she lives in Italy and I live in Canada.<p>

6ish chapters to go!

~Awesome Maple


	5. Chapter 5

Short chapter, **THIS IS A SOMEWHAT VIOLENT CHAPTER.**

;n; *cries* good luck. Also I had a math retest after school today but I didn't do it because I wanted to go home. Oops.

~Awesome Maple

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**One year later…**

Matt locked the bathroom door as he heard Gilbert break another piece of furniture, clutching his clothes to his chest as he sank to the ground and held back sobs. This was one of the parts of Alzheimer's that scared him the most—the violence.

Over the last eight months, Gilbert had been getting increasingly violent and irritated, throwing fits of anger that were progressively getting worse.

Last week he threw a fit when Matt asked him to clean the dishes. Halfway through the act, Gilbert had stopped, looked at him, and asked what he was doing. When Matt explained to him that he'd asked him to clean the dishes, Gilbert pushed Matt violently to the ground and left to another part of the house to be alone. Matt still had a large unsightly bruise.

A few days ago Gilbert had gotten so angry, seemingly out of the blue, that he took the cheque books and ripped them apart, before he went into their files and ripped up all the tax papers.

A month ago, Matt's husband pushed over an entire fruit stand at the grocery store, which resulted in Matt having to pay for the damage and they were given a warning. Matt never took Gilbert grocery shopping again. As a matter of fact, he rarely let Gilbert out of the house at all because of how violent he was towards strangers.

Not only was Gilbert violent, but also he was highly uncooperative.

Five months ago Gilbert had pissed himself—another effect of Alzheimer's (bladder being control, that is)—and refused to shower or clean himself. Matt tried to dress him but he refused that as well, going as far as to slapping Matt's hand and causing a minor fracture.

But no matter what Gilbert did, Matt always forgave him. It was stupid, but he did it anyways, because he loved him. He knew that all he had to do was wait for Gilbert's anger to pass and everything would be back to normal… That is, before the next violent attack.

He began questioning what qualified as 'normal'.

Matt noticed that the phone was lying in the bathtub—no doubt another of Gilbert's doing—so he picked it up and called Ludwig.

"_Matt? Is Gilbert being violent again?_"

"Yeah…" Matt could hear Gilbert approaching the bathroom door, cursing and probably getting ready to smash the vase—yep, there goes the vase.

"_What was that crash?_"

"Gilbert broke another vase," Matt sighed, and he heard Ludwig muttering.

"_I'm coming over._"

"Don't do that! Are you insane?" Matt whisper-yelled. He didn't want to draw attention to himself.

"_No,_" Ludwig contradicted over the phone, "_the doctor told you months ago that it was unhealthy to have Gilbert in the house alone with you! You're the one that's insane, living with him! He's too dangerous, Matt. I'm coming over._" Ludwig hung up on the other end and Matt hastily got dressed as Gilbert yelled.

"Open up!"

Matt stayed silent.

"I said open up! Who are you? A robber?" Gilbert pounded his fist on the door again. Matt suppressed tears. This was not the first time his love forgot who was behind the door.

"It's me Gilbert! It's me, it's Matt!" Gilbert stopped pounding at the sound of Matt's quivering voice and choked sobs.

"Matt?" Matt could hear Gilbert try the handle, but Matt knew better. He would wait until Ludwig arrived. As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

* * *

><p>Gilbert frowned as the doorbell rang, telling Matt he'd be back. He didn't know why he was hiding... As he walked through the hall, he saw the broken vase. Guilt pooled into his stomach.<p>

The doorbell rang again, dismissing the thought as Gilbert wandered to the door and opened up, only to see his younger brother standing there.

"Hey," Gilbert blocked the entrance so Ludwig couldn't get in. It was fairly warm outside, despite being October, and a nice breeze smelling of wet leaves blew in.

"May I please come inside?" Ludwig asked in his usual politeness, and Gilbert frowned, shaking his head.

"Nope," he gritted his teeth and crossed his arms, "I can't let you in."

"Gilbert…" Ludwig's expression contorted into a sad painting of feelings, and Gilbert felt even guiltier, so he stepped aside, covering his aged face in his hands.

"I fucked up, Luddy," Gilbert whispered. Ludwig hugged his older brother tightly and told him that it was okay. They stayed in the entrance hall for a few moments before Matt's head poked around the corner, his eyes red from emotion.

"Gilbert," Ludwig said gently, "you need to learn to control your temper."

"I don't have a temper!" Gilbert immediately shouted, shoving Ludwig away from him. Matt and Ludwig both simply raised their eyebrows and Gilbert realized what he'd done and cast his eyes downwards.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, and his lip started to quiver, "I don't know what's wrong with me… It's like, I just…" Gilbert trailed off.

"Just what?" Matt placed a hand gently on Gilbert's frail shoulder, and Gil's head snapped to look at Matt's hand in a distrusting manner, before relaxing.

"What?" Gilbert frowned.

"You were saying that…"

"Matt," Ludwig sighed, "just let the subject go."

Matt let out a long sigh. This was the worst; Gilbert stopping mid-sentence and not knowing what he was going to say.

Matt's life had deteriorated into confusion, sighs, frowns and frustration—he didn't know how he pushed through every day…

But he did.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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><p>That was really quite sad.<p>

And oh my gosh, you guys spoiled me so much with WMSB! 'How?' You might be asking yourself. When I wrote a chapter in the last fic, I would have reviews roll in immediately. So you guys have made me so greedy, you silly ones! But it's 10000% fine if you don't want to review. I'm just glad some of you are reading it!

5 chapters left. I will finish this fic on the 15th of February. I will start the second book on the 5th of March so that I have some time to collect myself and start writing the Fem!Prussia x 2p!Canada fic. It's quite a large undertaking as I've tried writing the first chapter 5-6 times already! ... And failed. It's really difficult for whatever reason. Oh well! I'll write it and it will be awesome.

Thanks for reading you adorable and epic readers! Have a great day, Friday and Saturday before I break your heart again on Sunday!

~Awesome Maple


	6. Chapter 6

"you know, this fic is much more difficult to review... It is beautiful and touching and EXTRIMLY sad. Besides, the idea that all this is a real life experience is raising the level of grief too. A lot of readers become attached to your Gil and Matt from "WMSB" and to read about not so "happy even after" is… rather hard." **-GMoriell**

"I'm so glad you're actually reading my suggestions... :D Thanks. Yet another emotional chapter. I was so scared when Gilbert disappeared. It's interesting to see 2p!Canada reduced to the point where he has to hide his face from Gilbert to prevent himself from breaking down into tears. Six more chapters? I'm so nervous for Gil and Matt despite this being a fictional story..." **-Impeccably Bizarre**

Best reviews and this chapter is dedicated to you both! Interesting... I never thought it would be hard to review because of that. I guess that this is a reminder that life can be cruel and cold, as well as beautiful. For those pushing through this, I applaud you.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

**A few months later…**

"I'll be back in a few hours, okay?" Matt kissed the top of his husband's head and Gilbert nodded as some very nice nuns led him inside the home.

Matt felt guilt pool in his stomach as Alfred and Ludwig patted his shoulders reassuringly. He'd put Gilbert into a home because he was too hard to handle. It hurt Matt so much inside, but he had to do it. It was for the best of things. He was calm, however, because the people who would be taking care of him were gentle, young nuns who loved to care for older people from any background. He was restricted to certain visiting hours, but he was allowed to stay for that time period.

"Thanks guys," Matt smiled a watery smile as he fought back tears. Alfred and Ludwig nodded silently, heading back to the car.

The home was located about an hour away from Matt's house in Canada—Gilbert didn't remember his home in the USA anymore, so he sold the house and went back to Matt's homeland. Ludwig handled all the residency and stuff—Matt just couldn't do it. Leaving the USA and moving back to Canada meant that he had to leave his best friend, Lars, behind. He promised to visit, and he knew that now he didn't have to care for Gilbert anymore, he had a lot of time on his hands when visiting hours were over.

Alfred drove Matt back home and dropped him off. He offered to stay—as did Ludwig—but Matt needed time alone. His twin and brother-in-law understood and let him be.

* * *

><p>Matt opened the door to a silent house and felt a shiver go down his spine. It was so eerily quiet and bare. Gilbert had destroyed at least half of the furniture in their old home, and because the place was so huge, it seemed emptier than their house in the USA. Well… That's because it was.<p>

He walked through the empty rooms, jumping at every creak he heard. He half-expected his husband to jump out and surprise him at every corner, but he knew that Gilbert was an hour away, all lonely…

"Matt," he told himself, "stop it."

"Why is this so hard?" Matt sighed out loud. He felt silly to be talking to himself, but it felt strange not to hear the house alive with human voices. Sure, he still had Gilbird the VI, as well as Kumajirou the III to keep him company, as well as the piano, which he knew he'd make good use of, but humans were… Different.

"Kuma!" Matt called, and the plump white cat trotted over to him, Gilbird the VI sitting on his head.

"At least I still have you…" Matt sat down on the couch nearby, hearing and feeling his old bones creak and groan as Kumajirou sat on his lap and Gilbird flew to his head.

"I'm so old…" Matt grumbled unhappily. He knew that he had to have some human interaction within the next 48 hours or else he would go nuts. For now, he decided to put on some music and create a schedule. He also decided he would clean the entire house and then make dinner.

"Is this what life will be?" Matt asked Kuma and Gilbird, "Is this how I will end up? Cooped up here and visiting my husband?"

The animals stared at him blankly. Matt ran a hand through his receding hairline and his now grey hair. He sighed loudly and got on with the rest of his day.

* * *

><p>"When are we going home Matt?" Gilbert frowned, whining a little bit. He didn't mind being here, the nuns were very sweet, but he wanted to go home.<p>

"In an hour or so," Matt said uneasily, and Gilbert could tell he was lying.

"You're lying," Gilbert glared. He was about to say something else but his thoughts fled from him and he stared ahead blankly.

He looked up to see Matt. _When did he come here?_

"Hi Gilbert," Matt smiled sadly. Sadness pooled into Gilbert's stomach.

"How long have you been here?" Gilbert tugged Matt's sleeve and got him to sit on the bench beside him, draping his arm around Matt's shoulders. The two leaned into each other and Matt didn't reply. Gilbert shrugged it off mentally and sat in silence with Matt.

"I love you," Gilbert said spontaneously, turning to look at Matt, making his Canadian husband jump a little.

"I love you too," Matt pecked his cheek and Gilbert sighed happily.

After a good five minutes in the this position, the German geriatric suddenly stiffened and Matt let go and looked at Gilbert, who was staring at him, wide-eyed. A mix of emotions Matt couldn't identify was stirring in them wildly.

"… Gil?" Matt asked tentatively, and Gilbert frowned a little bit before saying something Matt was dreading to hear.

"Who are you?"

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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><p>Okay, that was a punch to the stomach, that last line. A fake left and go right. Fluff and bam feels of pain. Damn it Gilbert! 4 chapters left... And it's still downhill from here.<p>

Love,

~Awesome Maple


	7. Chapter 7

*cries* sorry this is late.. And it's incredibly short.

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

**One year later…**

Matt visited Gilbert daily, and got to know the nuns by name and occasionally brought them small gifts as a token of thanks—a small novel here, a box of macaroons there. They always dressed Gilbert well and made sure he was well fed. All in all, Gilbert was in good hands.

Over time, Gilbert had started to lose the ability to recall who his grandchildren were, and so Matt stopped bringing them because they kept asking, "Do you remember me? Do you remember me grandpa?" and this frustrated Gilbert to no end because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember his grandchildren's names, nor did he know how they were related to him. He began to lose the meaning of "grandchild" and "grandparent", and occasionally, "parent" and "child".

On Gilbert's birthday though, Matt decided to bring their small family to visit him.

* * *

><p>Freida looked at the phone in her hand, biting her lip. <em>Should I call him?<em> She wondered, and then, because nobody was home, she dialled a number she knew so well.

"Christopher?"

"_Who is this?_"

"It's me… Freida."

"_What do you want?_" His voice was hostile and Freida began wondering if this was a good idea.

"My father has Alzheimer's and he still thinks we're married. He gets confused and it takes a long time before we explain to him that I, uh, divorced you."

"_And?_" Christopher's voice had softened.

"I was wondering if you could come to see him, to avoid the usual questions… We're going today at 16:00, is that okay with you?"

"_Yeah, sounds good. Where do we meet?_"

"At the Casa Protetta," Freida bit her lip and she could imagine her ex-lover nod. They said goodbye and hung up. She hoped it wouldn't be too awkward.

* * *

><p>Matt waited at the gate for Freida to arrive. Oskar and his wife Maria were already there, as well as Niklas with his wife Kate. Their children weren't going to come simply because they overwhelmed Gil too much.<p>

Suddenly, a car pulled up and out stepped Christopher, Freida's divorced husband, and a moment later, Freida.

"Hey papa," Freida smiled, and then gestured to Christopher, "dad keeps asking about Christopher so I decided to bring him along so he's not overwhelmed."

"I see," Matt smiled and shook his ex-son in law's hand. Christopher and Freida gave a small, polite nod and the troop of 7 walked into the home, ready to see Gilbert.

* * *

><p>A nun buttoned up his shirt and told him that he had some visitors today, and he was escorted from his room to the backyard and to a table in the shade, which had many chairs around it. It was a fairly warm day out and the air was fresh. Today was a good day—he remembered most things. He was told it was his birthday today and he was able to retain that fact. He expected Mattie, he always did, but he had no idea who the others would be.<p>

The door to the back of the house opened, and out came Matt and six other vaguely familiar people.

"Hey sweetheart," Matt came over and gave him a hug, which was then accompanied by a kiss on the top of his head. Gilbert held onto this moment—he knew that he would temporarily forget who Matt was. The doctor supervising Gilbert said that it was amazing how self-aware Gilbert could be at times. This was one of those times—just the knowledge that he would soon forget was incredible.

"Hey," Gilbert smiled as the others took a seat around the table, and he gestured to the people, "I'm Gilbert, but you can call me Gil." They all did the little sad smile thing, and Gilbert stiffened. _Shit! I know these people, don't I? Okay, let's see. That girl there…_

"I know all of them," Gilbert asked in a murmured voice to Matt, "don't I?" A slight nod was the return.

"Do you want to go around the table and see how much you remember?" Matt asked gently, squeezing their two wrinkled hands together. Gilbert nodded. He could feel himself slipping…

Gilbert blinked hard. _Where am I? Who are these people? Who is this man holding my—oh, it's just Mattie…_

"Gil?" Matt asked softly, and Gil nodded. _What were we doing? _

"You were going to try to remember who are these people," Matt seemed to read his aged mind. Gilbert nodded gratefully.

"Okay…" Gilbert first looked at the man beside Matt. He was clearly German, and he looked like the older version of…

"Oskar?" Gilbert frowned, and the man nodded. _This is Oskar? He's so old…_ Gilbert looked around the table. The memories of Matt and Gilbert's first decade or so of marriage flooded to him.

"Frieda? Niklas?" Gilbert's eyebrows went up. Everybody nodded energetically, and Gilbert seized the moment to absorb each face and memorize each detail.

But then, with a blink, the moment was gone.

The cake was cut, the birthday son was sung, the children left, and that was the last time their spouses saw Gilbert.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

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><p>Forgive me for giving you such feels... Also sorry for all the OCs lol.<p>

~Awesome Maple


	8. Chapter 8

Oh ma gawd Chapter 8 and then Chapter 9 and then 10 and Matt and Gilbert's story will end.

PREPARE THYSELVESSSS

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

**One Year Later...**

Gilbert pinched himself as the stranger approached him. He began to fidget as the incredibly handsome man approached. Though his hairline was receding and he was mostly grey-haired at this point, he still had a bright sparkle when he laughed. He felt so awkward around this handsome man.

_Stay cool, Gil, stay cool_, he repeated his mantra to himself, but his breath caught in his throat as the stranger sat beside him and gave him a warm smile. Gilbert mustered, with all his courage, to say what he thought and how he felt. He must have eaten butterflies for breakfast.

"Hello sir," Gilbert smiled tightly, and the stranger's face fell a tiny bit. Before the old man in front of him could say anything, Gilbert cleared his throat and continued; "I can't be seeing you anymore."

"What?" The man was visibly confused. He bit his lip—which totally turned Gilbert on, by the way—and Gilbert saw the man's eyes water a bit.

"It's just…" Gilbert pinched himself again, "I am married. I feel like I'm starting to, err, have feelings, but I must stay faithful to Matt. Matt Williams-Beildschmidt. Born July 1st, married to him October 1st," Gil recited, as he always did, in his head. He never ever wanted to forget Matt and Ludwig.

The man in front of him laughed and had small tears in his eyes as he said, "Gilbert, I _am_ Matt. See?" He pulled off his ring and showed Gilbert that it did indeed say their names and marriage date.

_This is Matt?_ Gilbert felt like crying. _What happened to him? He looks like he's sixty-one, not forty!_

"Why are you so old?" Gilbert whispered. _This must be an impostor._ Much to his surprise, the man, who claimed to be Matt, brought out a photo-album filled with pictures.

Matt showed him the pictures from their marriage date up until a picture taken a few weeks ago, and after viewing the timeline, knew that yes, this was Matt. The scattered memories were loosely pieced together. He pulled Matt forward and gave him a huge kiss on the lips.

"I'm sorry," Gilbert whispered, and Matt nodded.

"It's okay," Matt said, as he did every time Gilbert forgot. He pointed to a picture of Freida, Niklas and Oskar, and he asked who they were. Matt made a mental note to take out any pictures involving the three children away. It was too emotionally and mentally exhausting to have to tell Gilbert yet again who they were.

He seemed to remember only Matt and Gilbert at this point in time—Feli, Alfred and Lars, who kept in touch and visited regularly at first, were all whisked away from his memory. He couldn't remember his parents or his grandfather.

Matt decided to read a book, _The Phantom Tollbooth_, while he was with Gilbert, when somebody cleared his or her throat beside him a few minutes later. Matt sometimes just enjoyed Gilbert's company, feeling Gilbert's gaze on him constantly. He didn't mind it, though it because rather unnerving at times. Closing the book, Matt looked up to see the doctor that was supervising Gilbert.

"Hello doctor," Matt smiled, and the doctor simply nodded. He sat down and clearly had some bad news. Matt felt his hands get clammy and cold and he wiped them on his beige pants.

"I've been working with Gilbert for a few years," the doctor started, leaning forward, his eyes darting between Matt and Gilbert, "and Gilbert doesn't have very much time left to live. He's good when you're here, but he's getting worse."

"Yeah…" Matt trailed off, and then swallowed and nervously asked, "How long does he have… Um… Left?"

"Two, maybe two and a half years," the doctor informed him, and Matt's eyes began to water. The doctor looked somewhat uncomfortable and Matt wiped his eyes. _Get a grip of yourself._

"I wanted to suggest you call your brother-in-law to spend more time with him, because two years will go by very fast and I think Ludwig will regret not seeing Gilbert enough," the doctor continued, "that's all I have to say. In a year I suggest you begin seeing a therapist to get emotionally ready for Gilbert's death."

Matt flinched at the word 'death' and the doctor stood, patting his shoulder sympathetically as he walked by to go back into the home. He knew he had to face it eventually… But it was hard.

He called Ludwig and told him what the doctor said, and they made arrangements for Ludwig to live with Matt so they could visit Gilbert more frequently. Ludwig would go four times a week as opposed to the current two, and Matt would continue seeing Gilbert every day. Everybody was impressed with Matt's strength and his dedication to Gilbert, going as far as to ask if it was possible that he could live in the home with his husband—but the question was quickly shot down as they didn't offer these services, though, out of sympathy, they let him stay a little bit before and after visiting hours.

It didn't matter to Matt Williams-Beildschmidt. He would always see Gilbert until the end.

Through sickness and in health, until (the quickly approaching) death do them apart.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>*sigh*<p>

But hey, Gil still loves Matt and will stay faithful to him until the end. I just wanna hug the shit out of Matt.

~Awesome Maple


	9. Chapter 9

ONE MORE CHAPTER!

UPDATES (all 2015):

Chapter 10 [An Untimely Frost] Sunday February 15th  
>Chapter 1 [New fic] ANY TIME BETWEEN Thursday February 26th and Thursday March 5th<p>

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: Hetalia you say? Is it mine? No, of course not... Though it does own me!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

**A year later…**

"Hello Gilbert," Matt smiled and gave a little wave, and Gilbert mumbled back a hello. Ludwig also said hello, and Gilbert came out again with a barely coherent answer, and a foul smell suddenly filled the air—Gilbert had urinated. They were approaching the final stages of Alzheimer's—loss of bodily functions. Thank god he was wearing "adult diapers" these days.

At this point in Gilbert's life, over the course of the year, he didn't really know who Matt was anymore. Sometimes he was lucid, and knew who he was, but now he only recognized him in pictures, but even then, that was getting hazy. Matt could tell that Gilbert was lying when he said he recognized him. The moments when he did remember were so rare that Matt completely gave up on telling Gilbert they were married. He wore both his and Gilbert's ring because Gilbert had lost it a few months ago, when he really started to go downhill. Luckily they found it, but it was a close call.

Ludwig was a little better, mainly because he'd had Ludwig his whole life. He remembered his brother a little bit more, but again, it was old pictures that really triggered a response in the old man.

Matt had begun talking with a therapist who was from Iceland or something like that, and was mentally prepping himself for losing Gilbert. He had to go over the financial work, was planning to move into a smaller house, and once a month he went through the house to get rid of useless things—Gilbert's dress shoes and suit, his pants, his hair gel—and keeping others, like his sweaters, ties, hats and gloves. He decided to go minimal, and soon his wardrobe consisted of half of Gilbert's clothes that fit him, and the other half were his. He would forever cling onto Gilbert's things. The only thing that truly hurt was that his clothes were starting to lose his scent, and it had been a year since he no longer could smell Gilbert on his pillow at night anymore.

Ludwig was dealing with it better. Ever since Gilbert and Matt's marriage, he accepted that although Gilbert still had a deep connection with Ludwig and had strong brotherly affection, Gilbert had moved onto Matt, and now Matt and Gilbert were much closer than him and Ludwig. At first he'd felt like he'd been replaced, but he'd slowly realized that Romano had gone through the same thing with Feliciana, and no longer felt that way. Ludwig also stopped feeling those feelings and was truly able to appreciate Matt's love for his older brother.

He wasn't as attached to Gilbert at this point like Matt. He was living with Matt now, and he would occasionally find Matt bawling his eyes out while he cooked or watched the news or did chores around the house, but he always was able to compose himself. Matt was a good man. He really was.

Ludwig would probably never know what Matt saw in Gilbert, but hey, they fell for each other and the rest is history.

* * *

><p>Gilbert looked up at the two men. They were vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite grasp who they were. They spoke to him slowly—thank god for that—and they were very patient with him. Why?<p>

Well, Gilbert couldn't speak.

He had a hard time trying to make connections with the words they said and how they applied to him, and he was beginning to lose his grasp on the meaning of words. He had a hard time articulating what he wanted to say, and when he was able to, he forgot what he wanted to say exactly.

Gilbert only really knew a few things. First, he was eating, had relatively normal bowel movements, and was breathing. Second, he was starting to have trouble controlling all of this. Third, he was forgetting his name. Fourth, there were two men that visited him often. One visited him every day; the other came every other day.

He didn't always know what was happening and why the one with slicked back hair would growl in frustration at what Gilbert said sometimes, but he was glad that the one with longer hair would speak soft words and calm everyone down.

The only thing Gilbert did these days was nod, smile, say hello, thanks, good-bye, and do his business. He expected the man with longer hair to visit him every day, and he always came.

He didn't always know who he was. Who was he? Why was he here? What was going on? Life was… Confusing.

* * *

><p>Matt spoon-fed Gilbert his soup as he ate along with him and Ludwig. It was a serene, quiet, blissful day. Other old people like Gilbert walked around, accompanied by their children or grandchildren or spouses that were in the same situation as Matt and Gilbert.<p>

"Do you remember me?" Ludwig asked, staring into Gilbert's dull red eyes. They'd lost their lustre, and his pale skin was like a roadmap, the veins winding all around. Gilbert's wrinkled hand clenched into a fist as he rubbed his hollow cheeks and shook his head.

No, he didn't know who this man was.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

><p>THE END IS NEAR! ONE MORE CHAPTER ON SUNDAY! BRACE YOURSELVES!<p>

~Awesome Maple


	10. Chapter 10

PREPARE YOURSELVES

~Awesome Maple

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia. I hope you people would have understood that by now.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

**Two months later…**

Matt was suddenly awoken from the shrill ring of his home phone. He bolted out of bed, knowing what was coming. As he ran to the phone, he pulled off his pyjamas and slipped on clothes as he answered the phone,

"Hello?"

"_Hello Matt,_" one of the nuns was calling and Matt grabbed his car keys, pulling on his socks in the dark of his house, "_Gilbert is passing away at this moment. He still has about an hour and a half left._"

"I'll be there," Matt hung up and called Ludwig on his cell phone as he drove, telling him of the situation at hand_._

* * *

><p>Gilbert was fighting. He was fighting the darkness. He didn't know why, but something didn't feel right; something was missing. No—<em>somebody<em> was missing.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal what Gilbert was looking for; the blond man with long hair. He felt at peace, but something was nagging his brain. He knew this man! He knew him, he knew him…

His eyes opened wide as his life flashed before his eyes, the gaps of memory being filled. The most important image, the most important and most frequent person that came to mind was that man. He searched for a name, a relation, and then it clicked.

This whole time, the man was Matt. Not just any 'Matt'—Matt Williams-Beildschmidt, born July 1st and married October 1st; the love of his life. The man with long hair that visited him every day was _his_ Matt.

Gilbert stared at Matt; trying to utter some words that would make Matt feel good. He was suddenly aware that he was… Dying. He wanted to fight as his vision began to tunnel and neurons fired off, creating darkness around the edges of his vision and a bright centre was formed. He took a deep breath, and squeezed Matt's hand, which he didn't realize had snaked into his.

"I…" Gilbert took another breath, trying to get his last words out, "I love you, Matt."

That was all it took to use the last of his energy. He felt a warm pair of lips on his and he savoured the last moments of his life surrounded by his love for Matt. It was a romantic ending, and Gilbert was at pure peace as he heard an uttered "I love you, Gilbert," being whispered, barely audible.

He lost all of his senses, starting from his taste and feeling and hearing and eventually seeing, Gilbert floated towards the tunnel of light amidst the darkness.

His last thought was an image of Matt, and all he could feel was peace.

And then he breathed his last, succumbing to the unknown.

* * *

><p>Matt felt Gilbert's hand grow stiff in his own as he saw the last of Gilbert's life leave his eyes. Ludwig burst into the room, a few seconds late.<p>

He was gone.

Matt looked up to see early morning rays of oranges and yellows and pinks and reds streaking across the sky, and melting the frost on the grass and the window and all the plants. Winter had come early this year—it came at the wrong time. It was an untimely frost, much like Gilbert's life. It was taken too soon.

But the sun continued to rise and Matt knew that while he lost the most influential person in his life, he had gone in peace. His last words were "I love you, Matt." While he had lost the most important person in his life, he still had memories to cling to: memories that would never fade. Or at least he hoped so.

Matt let go of Gilbert's hand and thus let go of Gilbert's physical, old, broken body. His spirit was free and would always be with Matt, guiding him through the last few years of his life. Yes, it would be tough, but Matt was happy that Gilbert's suffering came to an end. He no longer had to worry constantly of what was happening to Gilbert when he was away.

Matt and Ludwig looked down on Gilbert open eyes, void of life, and Ludwig reached over and closed them. Matt tried to savour the last moments he would have with Gilbert's body.

Sometimes life is snuffed out by an early frost, but he still had the memories to remind himself of Gilbert's life with him. It was better to have loved Gilbert and lost him, rather than to have never loved Gilbert at all. The rays of sun kissed his face, and then Matt's.

Gilbert Beildschmidt-Williams had died the 1st of October—the anniversary of their wedding, Matt realized, and smiled bitterly. _The day we were joined and the day we were separated. What a coincidence. _

Matt took a deep breath, clearing his mind. All he had to do was to live his life and move on. Yes, he would miss Gilbert, naturally. But he would forever remember this wonderful, loud, partially albino man.

And Matt knew, deep in his heart, that their love would be eternal.

_Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff._

_Life and these lips have long been separated._

_Death lies on her like an untimely frost_

_Upon the sweetest flower of all the field._

–_Romeo and Juliet,_ Act 4, Scene 5, lines 26-30

**THE END**

* * *

><p>The legacy of Matt and Gilbert has officially ended.<p>

~Awesome Maple


	11. Thank You

**Thank you**

I have a couple notes:

1. Thank you  
>2. Bestfavourite reviews  
>3. Announcements<br>4. Last note

**1. Thank you**

Dear Readers,

I am not allowed to post this on ff dot net—it's against the Rules & Regulations. I really want to inform you that… You guys are awesome! Please don't rat me out! If you were able to stick with me for the entire journey, you deserve a serious pat on the back and a hug because this was probably a horribly torturous sequel. Thanks for all the awesome reviews! They were all so wonderful.

I wanted to write this sequel because Prussia, in many fics, forgets whom he is/starts fading because he's no longer a country. I coupled that idea with my grandfather's Alzheimer's and bam we got this evil fic. My friend told me that evil wasn't a strong enough word for the pain/feels of this fic lol. I (don't really) apologize for the serious feels you guys had to withstand. I'm just glad there are so many dedicated readers out there!

Also life is wonderful, but things like Alzheimer's happen and it's not something you can control. I guess I just wanted to open your eyes that this sh*t happens. So there you have it! Thanks for sticking with me, Matt and Gilbert.

~Awesome Maple

**2. Best/favourite reviews**

"You're back! :D More Mattie and Gilbert! 3 I can't wait to see how this sequel turns out... I hope we get to see some more of Ludwig's family. This chapter has got me hooked. What is this mysterious disease that Gilbert has? I guess I'll have to wait and see. Kudos to you for writing a sequel to What Must Shall Be! I absolutely adored that story and I'm always happy to see more 2p!Canada and Prussia." –Impeccably Bizarre (oops lol I don't think you were expecting it to be this bad)

"wellhellofriends:hahaha, here we go agAIN  
>good tho bro that ur writing about shit that you lived thru, idk how to put it. im ot good with words, but hey ur cool" –Guest (wellhellofriends)<p>

"Whoa... Emotional. You really expressed the intense emotional grief of Matt and Gilbert in this chapter- the feels hit me hard. I liked how you ended the chapter with a suspenseful and sorrowful note. Thank you for sharing your Alzheimer's story. It really puts things into perspective, doesn't it? Best wishes to you and your family as you work through this." –Impeccably Bizarre

"My heart is breaking, too! I can't bare to see Matt and Gilbert torn apart after Where Must Shall Be! This fic is fantastic so far, though. You manage to crack my heart a little but more every chapter (and don't worry, that was a compliment). Poor Matt and Gilbert :( I wonder how Ludwig is coping..." –Impeccably Bizarre (man your reviews were soooo awesome this time around!)

"My heart is breaking but I love the story! I am definitely looking forward to see what happens next. My Grandfather also had Alzheimer's but he died right after I was born so I never knew him." –Maeve007 (I'm sorry for your loss. I guess in a way you can see the process through this fic?)

"you are making me cry" –GMoriell (I feel sadistic for liking this comment but… I don't know why I like it. I guess I'm glad the emotion is coming through!)

"wellhellofriends:oh jesus. please dont go breaking my heart. i love this so much, the story is so good and everybodys in character... just. its heart wrenching. im glad the way you have shown what you have felt with your grandfather is through writing, because it teaches others too. gah. im going to go read a fluffy fic so i stop crying, keep going bro!" –Guest (wellhellofriends)

";; NOO MATTIE NOO oh my gosh you've done it... Gah... My heart is racing. Especially after your author's note said that you would break my heart again on Sunday. I don't know whether to be excited or worried. Another emotional roller-coaster of a chapter; fantastic job :D You seem to know just how to make me want to cry (again, that's a compliment XD)." –Impeccably Bizarre (oops?)

"you know, this fic is much more difficult to review... It is beautiful and touching and EXTRIMLY sad. Besides, the idea that all this is a real life experience is raising the level of grief too. A lot of readers become attached to your Gil and Matt from "WMSB" and to read about not so "happy even after" is… rather hard." –GMoriell (You really opened my eyes with this comment. It's weird to think that people get attached to fictional characters… But we do!)

":omgomg i love this so much but gah! all this heartbreak is making me saaaad :(( nnnn i dont really know what to tell u but, gosh! this is so good! hopefully youll get the Fem!Pru x 2p!Can fic up and running!" –Guest (thank you! I actually started working on it after this comment haha)

"Ohmygod this is so good! You're a great writer! I love the way you've writen Matt and I'm glad this thing has 28 chappys! I'm reading this instead of watching the super bowl (the time of year where we, America, have a giant football show and all Americans watch, it's super awesome!) yes, all American stereotypes are true, most of us are fat and lazy, but we all know how to throw a party and get drunk off our butts. Thanks again for this great piece of art and for taking your time for us readers!" –Blubble (Ok so this particular review is from What Must Shall Be, but I thought I would put it here since our wonderful Blubble binged on my two fics in probably 1-2 sittings. I watched the super bowl (in 2017 we get American advertisements finally. We're stuck with our shitty Canadian ones. Your ads have a reputation of being really funny so we Canadians are pretty excited for the 2017 super bowl!). I cheered for New England simply because it had the name "England" omfg I'm such a Hetalian. The halftime show was… Kinda sucky. I hope Beyoncé comes back! The left shark made me laugh though).

"Ohmygodimgoingtocry I spent the whole time thinking it was cancer, but this is even worse! Waaaaaaah  
>I love your story maple, you're so cool! I read the first story and it was brilliant as well but this is just making me cry God dammit" –Blubble (The review above was Feb 1st and this one was Feb 2nd I think Blubble binged on it. And thank you! I don't think of myself as cool in person, but I guess I am here!)<p>

"NO oh my god NO Gil no no no no  
>That last line certainly was a punch to the stomach. You certainly know how to toy with our feels, don't you? Ha, and that author's note; "it's all downhill from here." Goddammit. I am seriously in awe of how well you write these chapters... It's like you know exactly how to make us laugh or cry. It's still only just sinking in that Mattie and Gil's story isn't going to be a happily ever after... I think the most impressive part of this story, though, is how consistent you are with updates. I'm TERRIBLE at updating my stories XD Can't wait for the next update!" –Impeccably Bizarre<p>

"Why?! Why did you have to do that?! Oh my absolute God! I'm not even Christian! What did you do?! Ohmygosh this story is so good but it's making me cry!  
>I love it so much though that I have to keep reading dang it." –Blubble (this made me laugh a lot and I showed this to a couple friends and they laughed too!)<p>

"Aww. I just... I can't. This is so heartwarming and sweet, yet heartbreaking and painful. Three more chapters? I must prepare myself." –Impeccably Bizarre (I hope you were prepared!)

"how could the first story a story that's so happy and sometimes funny make the sequel turn into such a sad story i feel so sorry for matt his life just ain't fair please finish this wonderful sad story soon" –miagirl3 (It's finally over!)

"I only feel pain  
>Great story<br>You succeeded in the feels.  
>( And the correct grammar is wonderful as well)" –Freedom-is-key (nice URL! And thanks for the grammar comment; I try really hard to make the grammar as clean as possible.)<p>

"I'm honestly not ready for the ending, but it has to happen sooner or later. This is so sad, but I really love the emotions! Gilbert forgot Ludwig, it really is the end now! :(" –BitterSweet Crazy

AND FINALLY, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL REVIEW OF THEM ALL:

" *sigh* " –GMoriell

**3. Announcements**

As I've said time and time again, the next fic is going up any time between

Thursday, February the 26th to Thursday, March 5th.

So tune in!

**4. Final Note**

And thus, the legacy of Gilbert and Matt has finally ended. If you noticed, I have a pattern—all my fic titles are from different lines from different Shakespeare plays. This particular series are both from Romeo and Juliet.

_Paris: Happily met, my lady and my wife!_

_Juliet: That may be, sir, when I may be a wife._

_Paris: That "may be" must be, love, on Thursday next. _

_Juliet: __**What must shall be**__._

—_Romeo and Juliet, _Act 4, Scene 1, lines 18-21

What it means is, "what has to happen will happen". In the context of _Romeo and Juliet_, it means that Juliet has to marry Paris (on Thursday, as said on line 18). In the context of Matt and Gilbert, it means that they have to work with each other and cooperate.

_Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff._

_Life and these lips have long been separated._

_Death lies on her like __**an untimely frost**_

_Upon the sweetest flower of all the field._

–_Romeo and Juliet,_ Act 4, Scene 5, lines 26-30

In the _Romeo and Juliet_ context, it means that Juliet died too early. In the Matt and Gilbert context, it means that Gilbert died too early. Matt explains the metaphor in chapter 10 towards the end, saying that when a frost comes too early, it kills plants. So death is the frost, which killed Gilbert (the flower/plants) too early. You get the point. Haha… How sweet. Chapter 10 is posted the day after Valentine's Day. I'm so evil, jegus.

The next fic's title will be from _Twelfth Night_, Act 3… But you will have to wait for that!

Anyways, thanks for sticking with me!

Love,

~Awesome Maple


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